So much has been said and done, over the last few days, about what took place in Seafield. Understandably, each one of us has our version to believe. I saw comments on the internet and viral messages among the non-Malays cursing Umno/PAS for the tragedy. I also saw similar comments and viral messages reminding the Malays how their position had been weakened ever since the current federal government took over.Comments on Malaysiakini or websites that cater for the urban, (largely) non-Malay readers were as equally bad. In the immediate aftermath, a lot of comments condemned the police authorities for allegedly “allowing” the riot to take place. There are always two sides of every story. There are different versions of the same event; normally the truth lies in between.Unfortunately, in Malaysia, each one of us has our own racial and religious bias. What makes it worse, it is always too convenient to point the finger to the other person. We hardly ever look in the mirror and admit that each of us has our racial bias too.It is so common that many non-Malays I have met (and my encounters with non-Malays is way higher than an average Malay) believe that the racial problem stems only from one side: Malays and Muslims.Likewise, many Malays (even the most educated ones) still harbour anger and suspicion against the non-Malays, for supposedly marginalising the Malays (no matter how warped the logic is). So, when a highly emotive event like this took place, it is very easy for each one of us to be influenced by our racial bias.

It is easy for the Indians and other non-Malays to feel that Malays have conspired to intrude the temple and Malay policemen did not act promptly (in collusion with the thugs). It is easy for the Malays to feel angry and blame the whole Indian population for what had happened to Muhammad Adib Kassim, the young fireman who is now fighting for his life.Events like this will repeat in the future. Again, and again, no matter which parties are the federal government. Irrespective of whether PAS/UMNO proceeds with anti-ICERD rallies, or whether PH-federal government ratifies ICERD or not.It will happen so long most of us choose to see everything from a racial perspective.There are a few things that we can do individually that can make things better. We must admit that each one of us carries a racial bias that we need to sort out. We cannot continue talking condescendingly about the other group, yet in denial that we are not any better than them. Each time there is an event like this or an issue that easily brings racial perspectives into it, we must embrace objectivity and learn to see from the group’s perspective.Malays must learn to appreciate the non-Malays’ fear and concerns, much in the same way the non-Malays cannot continue to stereotype Malays as being incompetent and stupid (especially when there is a disagreement). Finally, try to make friends with people from other races. Only this way, we can embrace each other and work on our racial prejudices.If we give all sorts of excuses and blame everything under the sun for not having a multiracial circle of friends – blame the national school, blame the pork, blame the Taliban but never blame ourselves – then we are the problem. - Rafizi Ramli

Malaysian officials on Tuesday convened a high-level security council meeting after two consecutive days of violence near Kuala Lumpur, while Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad strongly pushed back against suggestions the troubles had a racial undertone.The clashes near a Hindu temple in the state of Selangor have been linked to a dispute between the 147-year-old institution and a developer who claimed to have acquired the land for RM1.5 million, although it is unclear to whom the proceeds were channelled.The temple, slated to be relocated to a new site 2.7km away on Monday, was stormed by 50 masked, machete-wielding men who attacked devotees, including senior citizens and women. About 20 vehicles were damaged or set alight before the Federal Reserve Unit and police forces arrived on the scene. Several devotees were injured in the attack.Following the attack, thousands of people gathered outside the temple last night to show support and ostensibly defend the temple, a gathering which also turned violent as emergency service staff were attacked – landing one firefighter in the intensive care unit – and the developer, One City Development, had its office vandalised.In his statement, Mahathir emphasised that the altercations were “not race riots, although it involved the relocation of a temple”. Hindus in Malaysia are primarily composed of ethnic-minority Indians.The premier warned that the police were under strict instructions to bring the situation under control and act against “irresponsible people who caused disturbances which resulted in injuries to enforcement and rescue personnel, alongside damaging public property … I stress that this incident is a criminal matter, and has no relation at all to other elements”.Currently 21 individuals have been arrested.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of state-funded think tank Penang Institute described the temple clashes as “at most, inter-sectarian violence”.He drew parallels between the temple incident and church arson and temple desecration cases in 2010 and 2008. “Then, Malaysian society grew stronger because the communities involved didn’t fall for the trap,” he said.“If we can stand by each other in solidarity, society will be stronger after the test. However, if we leave the victims to their own defence, what is incidentally inter-sectarian may become ultimately inter-faith,” Wong said, warning that state institutions had an obligation to halt violence and uphold justice to avoid leaving wounds in specific communities.

The Sri Maha Mariamman temple riots are the first race relations test that the Pakatan Harapan government, which came to power in May in shock election results, have had to face. In multicultural Malaysia, such relations have long been a hot-button issue, with the spectre of the bloody race riots that took place in 1969 frequently trotted out for political mileage.Wong’s stance was echoed by Awang Azman from University Malaya’s Institute of Malay Studies, who said the government had to act swiftly to ensure national unity, particularly in the face of inter-ethnic issues.“Many will take advantage and paint the government as slow to act. The government must act firmly so that such provocations do not continue.”

The temple riots occurred just days after the government reversed its decision to ratify the United Nations’ anti-discrimination convention, following protests from Muslim groups in league with the opposition who claimed the treaty would infringe upon special race-based constitutional privileges.Meanwhile, reports on Tuesday surfaced that chunks of pork – forbidden to Muslims – had been tossed into two Islamic worship buildings located in a state just a few hours drive from the nation’s capital. On the same day, hundreds of stateless Malaysians – understood to be mostly ethnic Indians – gathered in front of the administrative district’s national registration building to apply for valid identity cards and birth certificates.Selangor chief minister Amirudin Shari has called for a meeting of the National Security Council state chapter this evening, saying its priority was to restore order. Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waythamoorthy claimed the police had not acted swiftly in attending to the matter, arriving hours after the initial violence took place.Member of Parliament Charles Santiago said the temple violence was a symptom of “Indian underclasses venting their anger”, and that action against the initial instigators of violence had to be taken.“The sanctity of a belief system was violated. The government must address these issues which began with the encroachment of dozens of young Malay men into this space,” he said.“The persons who engineered this must be brought to task. It is clear from the nature of the incursion that it was highly organised. The situation must be cooled, and both the prime minister and the Selangor state chief minister must show leadership in proposing solutions.” - Tashay Sukumaran, scmp

Seafield Temple Riot Was Not A Racial Riot – But It’s A Wake Up Call For The New Government...

Mr. Ramaji, an eyewitness to a pre-dawn attack of the 147-year-old Sri Maha Marianmman temple in USJ25, Putra Heights, has revealed an interesting story. According to the “Save Seafield Sri Maha Marianmman Temple” task force chairman, there were about 250 thugs who assaulted several devotees and temple priests who were conducting prayers.

The 2am attack on Monday (Nov 26) saw him with at least six others being held hostage at knifepoint. He told Malay Mail news media – “Wielding knives, axes, rakes, parangs and wooden sticks, they barged into the temple compound before ordering all within to vacate the premises immediately. They shouted that they were here to take over the land on behalf of One City.”

He was, of course, referring to One City Development Sdn Bhd, the developer who purchased the land from Sime UEP Properties Sdn Bhd. The developer has denied the mobsters were sent by them. The Hindu temple riot saw 18 cars and two motorcycles burnt, forcing some 700 police personnel, including those from the FRU, deployed to the scene of the incident.Initially, the Subang Jaya police declared the fight was between two rival ethnic Indian groups over the relocation of the temple. However, Mr. Ramaji disputed the police statement, exposing that the attackers as being of Malay ethnicity. He revealed the mob left behind their personal documents like identification cards (IC) and driver’s licenses, hence proof that the thugs were Malays.

With all the proof, deputy Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Noor Rashid Ibrahim finally acknowledged that the attackers were indeed Malays, saying – “Perhaps the side wanting to take over (the land) engaged a group of Malay men to facilitate the acquisition. It is possible that they are gangsters and, of course, the Indian group attempted to check the intrusion.”

However, the deputy police chief played down the number of mobsters involved, claiming there were only 50 thugs and not 250 as revealed by Mr. S Ramaji. Obviously, the police have some serious explaining to do as to why their initial report says that the riot was nothing but an Indian-vs-Indian clash. Why did they hide the fact that the clash involved ethnic Malays in the first place?At best, the Subang Jaya district police chief ACP Muhammad Azlin Sadari was completely incompetent in handling such situation – mobsters terrorizing the Sri Maha Marianmman temple. At worst, the police chief was probably bribed by gangsters to turn a blind eye, even a racist himself – trying to cover-up the ethnicity of the attackers. Either way, he should be fired.

It’s certainly easier to blame the riot on the ethnic Indian alone. After all, the perception was such that the Indian community is normally involved in petty thefts, drugs, armed robberies, gangsterism and whatnot. That’s because a majority of them received very little education, not to mention they have been systematically discriminated by the previous Barisan Nasional regime.

Thanks to social media, people were quickly informed that the temple riot was not a racial riot. Still, can you see how the incident could easily be twisted and escalated into a racial riot? When you have ethnic Malay “running amok” inside the Sri Maha Marianmman temple, you don’t need Donald Trump to tweet that the Malays was trying to demolish an Indian temple and slaughter the Indians.The lies from the Subang Jaya police chief have only added fuel to the tensions. It was alleged that only one patrol car from the Subang Jaya police station arrived at the scene at about 4.15am – 2 hours after the attacks. It also didn’t help that the racists and extremists from UMNO Malay Nationalist party and the PAS Islamist party have promised bloodshed in their coming Anti-ICERD rally on Dec 8.

In fact, there were naughty rumours that the attack by Malays on the Indian temple was a dry run – an experiment – by UMNO gangsters to start a racial riot on Dec 8. That’s because membership cards bearing logo and certificates of a Malay Silat group (Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia) were found during the attack, presumably dropped by some of the Malay thugs.And it certainly doesn’t look good on Mahathir government and the Royal Malaysia Police that UMNO and PAS troublemakers are allowed to freely incite violence and riot. Can you imagine what would happen if the situation is reversed – a group of ethnic Indians enters a mosque and start terrorizing everyone? All hell will break loose.Like it or not, Mahathir government has to put a stop to all these nonsense – regardless whether it was a Chinese developer paying Malay gangsters to smash an Indian temple, or Indian rioters burning cars belonging to innocent owners, or defeated Malay politicians stirring up racial and religion sentiments by threatening May 13-style racial riots.

PM Mahathir and his ministers can only blame crooked Najib Razak and his evil wife Rosmah Mansor for only so much. The previous regime had collapsed. The new government calls the shot now. Exactly why the old man keeps bitching about some civil servants still being loyal to the previous regime, but has refused to sack those traitors and incompetent little Napoleons, is beyond comprehension.

Now, do you understand why we have to give a jolt of reminder to Mahathir government so that they would stop pussyfooting on racism and extremism being pushed by UMNO and PAS? If you think the temple riot is bad, wait until you see the terrorism and rioting to be unleashed by the radicalized followers of both political parties – thanks to instigators Zahid Hamidi and Hadi Awang. - FT

The past week has been about race, and it will continue to be for the weeks and months to come, with Umno and PAS seemingly galvanised for the first time since the last general election.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been experimenting with different approaches in search of political relevance, after inheriting a party without power and having to get used to the chaotic nature of opposition politics.First, he tried the easiest route: identity politics. Umno tried to accommodate PAS in a series of by-elections to portray themselves as the great Malay-Muslim defenders.This proved unsuccessful with both being a liability to the other. Cooperation with PAS was driving away moderate Umno supporters, and cooperation with Umno was driving away hardliner PAS supporters.Thereafter, Zahid tried a different strategy: to be an issue-based party. In a surprise move, Umno formed a shadow cabinet to provide effective check and balance against the government. But this quickly descended into a series of feeble arguments and shouting matches in Parliament.Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin tried to put forward a shadow budget that was thoughtful and well-designed. However, even this did not seem to gain much traction among Umno parliamentarians. Perhaps Zahid was anxious of Khairy’s popularity usurping his?

And then, opportunityThen came ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) at a golden hour.Six months was enough to erase any euphoria of overthrowing the most corrupt regime in Malaysian history. Any semblance of goodwill from Malay-Muslim voters who were not Pakatan Harapan supporters and fence-sitters who took a leap of faith on May 9 had largely dissipated.What is often forgotten is that race relations does not change with a vote. The century-long construction of race that was manipulated by politicians to harbour hatred, resentment, and prejudice against others will not change simply because of a change in government.That is why it was so easy for Umno and PAS to mobilise angry mobs to protest even against a complex and little-understood United Nations instrument fraught with legalese, extensive mechanisms, and an uneasy abbreviation.Manipulating Icerd into Malay rights being under threat was easy, because suspicions against the Harapan government were already bubbling beneath the surface.

Unsuccessful mergerOn this issue, Umno and PAS finally found their voice. That also explains why the public merger negotiation between Zahid and Abdul Hadi Awang on stage did not come to fruition.Both saw how powerful this tool really was. Zahid must have been elated that Umno could once again lead the narrative of identity politics with PAS following behind.But Hadi was quick to ignore Zahid’s open invitation for a 'merger' because PAS must have also seen this opportunity as attractive, and wanted to seize it for themselves.Race has long been a tool ready to ignite and easy to manipulate. Both Umno and PAS saw their political futures return; opposition politics must have now appeared easy.If further evidence is needed of how easy race can be manipulated, we need look no further than to the ‘beer promoter’ incident.Edi Rejang must have felt that the beer promoter represented a foreign element antithetical to his beliefs of a 'wholesome' life. Edi was a symptom of dormant resentment; he was self-activated and ready to be activated.Umno and PAS are ready to play into our worst instincts to regain political relevance.

Extremism never survivesBut I have a feeling that racial extremism will not be sustainable in modern Malaysia.These are not the empty words of idealism by a 25-year old; instead, they are based on the truth that moderation and peace were the guiding themes of the formation of the country.In the face of every evidence of extremism, we are always surprised with one race standing up for others.Against the overt aggression by Edi, it is no coincidence that the vast majority of those who defended the beer promoter were Malay. This gives credence to my belief that the core of our humanity detests aggression and animosity, and celebrates tolerance and togetherness regardless of the colour of your skin. In the impending retreat to divisive racial politics, we must remind ourselves of this shared history that confirms the truth of our humanity.

None of this suggests the road to achieve racial empathy and acceptance is easy.To be effective defenders of ideals, we must read history and appreciate that the people who are suspicious of other races are not all irrational racists. We must engage with empathy to understand the root causes shaping their prejudice and misunderstanding: Is it economic? Is it century-long targeted exclusion? Is it the effects of our colonial legacy? Is it political manipulation? Is it ignorance? Is it experiential validation?The road ahead is arduous, which is why we cannot afford political expediency or the arrogance of idealism. - James Chai,mk

Over the last two weeks, the issue of Icerd had received significant prominence. What appears to be an issue that requires proper legal and intellectual discourse has been hijacked by politicians, leading to the loss of the objectivity of the original issue.The politicians' propaganda was misleading and had stirred up unnecessary emotions. The facts have been blurred, and the reality is politicians have only one agenda: to create unrest and seize power using race and religious issues.The facts on Icerd are very clear and are available on the world-wide-web and yet many chose not to read it themselves but rely on the propaganda made by political leaders. The facts show that Malaysia is one of the 14 countries world-wide alongside North Korea, Myanmar and Sudan that did not ratify Icerd. It makes us looks bad to be in the same boat as such countries.The facts also show that 55 out of 57 Muslim countries agreed to ratify Icerd. Is Islam in Malaysia different from Islam practised worldwide? Why is it that the 55 countries chose to ratify it? Only two Muslim countries chose not to - Malaysia and Brunei. There are 36 countries with constitutional monarchy system that have signed it.The allegation that Icerd contradicts our Federal Constitution and affects Islam and bumiputera need to be evaluated clinically with proper studies and not on the basis of emotions. Icerd has provisions within its Article 1(4). Article 153 of the Federal Constitution is ingrained in the formation of Malaysia. Something that is ingrained in the constitution cannot be touched. We accept that. It is no different from the American Constitution. Some things cannot be changed.Quite clearly, the legal process to change it is a long-drawn one that involves parliament. The reality is Article 1(4) of Icerd is no different from Article 153 of the Federal Constitution. While I can accept the differences in views on whether Icerd ratification will have an impact on Article 153, I cannot accept the way this issue is being handled. Using race and religion shows the weakness of us Malays of which I am not proud of.

I believe many like-minded Malays like me can argue this case professionally in the right forum and decide whether it has an impact on Article 153. I don't need politicians who claim that as Muslims we are for discriminatory policies against people of other religions and races.There is a big difference in being discriminatory and giving certain handicap to a segment of the society to allow it to catch up or having a law that protect the interest of Malays and Islam. Protecting the interest of Malays and Islam is definitely not the same as creating discriminatory policies against other ethnic groups in Malaysia.The country is at its critical juncture. I think as responsible Malaysians, if we cannot help the government to improve the nation's financial position and create jobs for the people, we should at least try not to make it worst. Politicians like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Hadi Awang are hypocrites. They have no issue with keeping silent on corruption. Does Islam allow corruption and stealing? It is because of this (corruption and stealing) that Umno was rejected at the recent general election.Had Umno been open to internal check and balance and be transparent on matters, BN would still be ruling the country. Had Hadi been clear and follow the true teachings of Islam and not play politics, PAS would have been part of the government today.Hadi is entirely to be blamed for missing out one of the biggest opportunities for PAS to showcase its capabilities. Now both PAS and Umno continue to play up on race and religion to ensure their survival and the public is too blind to see it. I am ashamed to be a Malay Muslim Malaysian.- Kar

For Exposing the 1MDB scandal, Mr.Tong,count yourself to be so lucky for being alive today and in one piece...

The Edge Media Group Datuk Tong Kooi Ong has slammed Datuk Seri Najib Razak for feigning ignorance over 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), saying that he had tried to explain the situation but was ignored by the latter. Tong said he was asked by Baling MP Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim to meet Najib after the paper’s reports on 1MDB had made many in Umno uncomfortable.“I shared with him information that I believed was proof that it was all a scam, with Jho Low at the centre of it. I explained how the accounts were made up to report a profit and why I believed the cash was all gone,” Tong wrote.“After about half an hour, he relented and told me he would shut down 1MDB. He didn’t say what he was going to do about the debts.“I then proceeded to tell Najib that Jho Low must be held accountable and be prosecuted. This upset him. He immediately stood up, walked to the door and asked me to leave,” he added.Tong said the meeting happened at 10.45pm on March 6, 2015 at Najib’s house in Jalan Duta. The meeting was only between the two of them, and Najib had started by telling him that the paper was wrong about 1MDB and no theft has happened there.Tong also wrote that Najib’s media adviser Paul Stadlen had then met him on several occasions, where the latter had started off trying to persuade him on 1MDB but later moved to threats.“While The Edge’s reporting was focused on 1MDB and Jho Low, Stadlen made it very clear that any attack on Jho Low was an attack on Najib, and that he was conveying this message from his boss,” he said.

In July 2015, the Home Ministry had later suspended the publishing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily. Najib had told Sinar Harian in an interview earlier this week that his relationship with Malaysia’s most wanted man Low Taek Jho was strictly professional and was forged with the country’s economic interests in mind.The former prime minister also blamed US investment banking goliath Goldman Sachs for failing to safeguard Malaysia’s interests by not alerting his administration of Low’s efforts to defraud the Malaysian investment firm.''Tong also wrote that Najib’s media adviser Paul Stadlen had then met him on several occasions, where the latter had started off trying to persuade him on 1MDB but later moved to threats.“While The Edge’s reporting was focused on 1MDB and Jho Low, Stadlen made it very clear that any attack on Jho Low was an attack on Najib, and that he was conveying this message from his boss,” he said.In July 2015, the Home Ministry had later suspended the publishing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily.'' - f/bk

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